SNP is talking Glasgow down

SUSAN Aitken, Glasgow City Council’s SNP group leader, talks the city down as we enter the local government election campaign (The ex-Labour Party member who plans to take Glasgow from the SNP, News, March 26). To say our city is “not liveable” insults the people of Glasgow. In last year’s Glasgow Household Survey, 94 per cent were either satisfied or very satisfied with our city as a place to live. Glasgow ranks third-best city in the UK for quality of life.

She makes the ridiculous remark that “we have to be one of the great cities of Europe”. Glasgow is already one of Europe’s great cities. In Langside, where Aitken is a councillor, the Labour administration has invested over £7 million in local primary schools – add in the other schools following the ward boundary changes, and it reaches £11m.

Our party will fight Scottish Government cuts. Aitken cites her leftwing credentials but has cheered on £377m of cuts to our city’s budget by her party over the last decade. Glasgow has one of the fastest-growing economies outside London – we’ll help it grow by creating 50,000 new jobs and increasing city businesses by 1,000. We’ve committed to build 25,000 new homes and will cut Glaswegians’ energy bills by establishing a Glasgow Energy Company.

We’ll deliver 30 hours a week of free childcare for every three and four-year-olds. The community benefits would be enormous. It allows both parents to work and have time for home and leisure activities. For children it provides education, and ability to learn social skills and be active with other children. So I’ll leave the SNP to talk Glasgow down while I continue to campaign on our positive message, which will move Glasgow forward and put Glasgow first. Steven Livingston Labour Candidate, Langside Ward Glasgow City Council Election 2017